


Everything Begins in the Basement

by derelict_mansion



Series: Don't Get Involved [1]
Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27783574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derelict_mansion/pseuds/derelict_mansion
Summary: Steven Hyde enters the basement after school to join Eric and Donna, and is introduced to Donna's friend Ruby Miller, who is working on a school newspaper assignment with Donna.
Relationships: Eric Forman/Donna Pinciotti, Steven Hyde/Original Character(s)
Series: Don't Get Involved [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032579
Kudos: 3





	1. Everything Begins in the Basement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the official first part of my Steven/Ruby 70s Show AU. Not sure as of yet whether all parts will be posted in order or as they come to me. Thank you to those who have left encouraging comments!
> 
> I've added a character Mr. Mason, who is the teacher and head of the school newspaper that assigns Donna and Ruby their interview for the paper.

-The Forman basement, Wednesday, 4pm-

Donna and Eric are seated side by side on the dusty orange couch, knees touching and shifted over to leave room for the newest visitor to the basement. Her dark brown hair is fringed with bangs cut in an arc across her forehead, and hangs pin-straight down her shoulders.

There are note pads and a newspaper on the table, but they are watching tv distractedly.

A clatter comes from the wooden steps leading down to the basement and into the room enters Hyde, who heads straight to the deep freeze to grab a fudge pop before setting himself down on his designated lawn chair.

Eric laughs at something on tv and lightly grips Donna's leg, leaning over to make a private joke into her ear, but she pushes his hand away.

"Eric! We have company." she gestures around the room to Ruby and Hyde

"Well, not Hyde.." Eric sits back and waves away the comment in a sassy way.

"Nope." Hyde unwraps the fudge pop and puts his feet up on the table. "Technically, you guys are intruding." he cracks with a smirk.

Donna pulls the notepad out from under his boot and gestures to Ruby. "Hyde, this is Ruby. She's my partner for the school newspaper town feature. Ruby, this is Steven, our basement gremlin."

"Ha-ha" he replies flatly, then makes a fake horror snarl, holding his hands up like claws. "Cool homework though. Sounds faa-scinating." he says in a flat tone and leans back into his seat.

"Oh it's a _super_ time," Ruby nods in fake agreement. "You wanna interview the town agriculture board?" With an eye roll, she reaches forward to pick up the newspaper and unfolds it to look at the sections. "We can at least plagiarize something. Mr. Mason doesn't care, because he doesn't even read what we write. And I don't care, because I just want the extra credits."

Ruby and Donna corner off to look over the newspaper. The tv show comes to a close and Hyde and Eric begin to fight over what to watch next.

-


	2. Everything Begins in the Basement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Later the same week, Steven is surprised by a late night visitor to the basement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the official first part of my Steven/Ruby 70s Show AU. Not sure as of yet whether all parts will be posted in order or as they come to me. Thank you to those who have left encouraging comments!

-

Forman basement, Thursday, 10:40pm

Steven Hyde is fiddling with a clock radio, trying to make its cord reach around the various boxes, furniture, and pipes in his storage area-slash-bedroom to the long, snaking extension cord leading in from one of the basement's few outlets. 

The sound of the side door slowly closing makes him pause and cautiously he steps out from the doorway to look into the room.  
There holding a backpack, and gently allowing the door to close to avoid any noise, is Ruby Miller. 

"Ruby?" he calls softly, not wanting to startle her and wake Red. "Uh, what gives?"

Despite the soft greeting, she startles at suddenly finding him standing in the dimly lit room.  
"Jesus.." she whispers, then gives a small shrug uncomfortably before continuing.  
"I was out late, so.. I was just going to sneak into Donna's and stay there til the morning. But Bob and Midge were downstairs playing some sort of strip solitaire, or strip something. I don't think they know how to play." 

She smirks, and then finishes a little awkwardly "So I was just gonna stay in here for a while til it was late enough for nobody to notice me go back. But I didn't know you would be um, here.." she trails off in a half question.

"Yep." Steven gestures with his arms out to display the basement before returning his hands to rest in his belt loops. "My kingdom. Sweet, stinky basement." 

With a little laugh, Ruby hesitates and then responds. "Oh, I kind of thought Donna was joking when she said you were their basement gremlin. But it's a cool place to hang out." she says, looking around at the dark basement. 

Making his way to the couch and stepping around it to seat himself in the lawn chair, he agrees 

"Yeah, pretty cool for whatever. As long as you don't wake up Red and get both of our asses kicked, I don't really care if you want to chill out for a while." 

The dark basement is silent for a moment as Ruby takes the offer, seating herself on the right side of the couch, and then the quiet is broken again by Steven's soft question

"So.. do you? Want to chill out?" 

He asks with a smile. Ruby studies his face for a second and then quirks an eyebrow. "That's what you guys do in here besides watch Hollywood Squares?" 

Steven shrugs, his smile not wavering. "Wouldn't you?" 

With an answering shrug and a look of not finding an opposing argument, Ruby leans in from the couch and watches as Hyde brings out the Circle's classic supplies.

\- 

After a few passes back and forth they are both leaned back in their seats quietly enjoying the mood. 

Ruby gives an amused laugh. "Damn. Donna said she knew a guy, but I figured it was her deal down at the station. Didn't know it was in her own backyard."

Steven suppresses a smirk at remembering Hot Donna, and her complaints about the station after work despite how happy she sounded on air. They all knew she liked building an image that was larger than Point Place life.

"You know, I wouldn't put it past Donna to have her own connections" he replies. "She meets a rockstar, and she can get hold of some crazy stuff." "Didn't pick you for a burnout though." he adds as an afterthought.

To him, she looks mismatched sitting in the haze of the dark basement after seeing her only hard at work on the newspaper with Donna after school that week. She wasn't a rich prep like some of Donna's other friends, but with her Joni Mitchell hair and plain flannel and jeans she didn't look like she was making any kind of anarchist statement either. Mentally, he was busy trying to place her, and the distraction from what should have been a mellow experience bothered him.

Still leaned back, head tilted up at the ceiling she replies slowly as she chooses her words.  
"Guess not. I don't work hard to be at the top of the school for recognition, and I don't try to make anyone follow rules or stuff I should care about like being in student government, or being a concerned citizen. Just whatever it takes to work hard enough to get out of here."  
she pauses, adjusting in her seat and adding a final thought.  
"I'll have my rebel moment, trust me. But better to do it after I make it out, and take down this archaic bullshit from the inside than make a point sticking it to the man by skipping school and ruining my chance to get out of here."

The moment hangs in the air, giving Steven time to reflect on it and consider whether or not the sentiment warranted a second round of introspection. Suddenly, Ruby scoots forward in her seat to say something, and now that she is closer to him, Steven can see from her face that the session had hit her a little harder than she had let on. 

"Does Eric have those records Donna brought over? There's a new Nugent album in there" she whispers loudly. "That would be PERFECT." 

Steven shushes her. "Not unless you want to wake up Red for some late night listening. Hold on, though. I think there's head phones." 

After some fumbling to find things in the dark, the two are seated on the couch leaning in to share one pair of headphones. The dim basement stills and is quiet around them as they enjoy the music and the fading haze.

As the album finishes, the darkness in the basement lessens and Steven hangs the headset back onto the corner of the record player.  
"Bob and Midge are probably alseep now, or at least done doing whatever deviant stuff they were up to. You should probably go before it gets too light out." he says, not harshly. 

"Yeah, I should. Donna's probably going to give me hell for waking her up so early." 

Ruby stands and makes her way to the side door to leave, turning to face Steven for a second before opening the door  
"Thanks, Hyde." Her eyes, turned on him in the unlit room were dark but he could see that she meant it.

"Steven." he blurted, catching himself and repeating a little quieter "It's Steven. And yeah. No problem."

She nodded and left around the hedges to make her way into the Pinciotti's upstairs unseen. Steven stood with the door open after her to clear out what remained of the basement's haze.  
The cool morning air was like the feel of the basement now without her- sobering.

-


End file.
